Continuous-weighing apparatus.



'H. L. MERRICK.

CONTINUOUS WEIGHING APPARATUS.. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 24. 1,913.

Patented June 6,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- I I m' Sme/Mom. f #erbe/f Neff/ck H. L. MERRICK.

-coNTlNuous WEIGHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED4 NOV- 24, IBIS- I ,n

' i Patented June 6,1916.

3 SHEETS-HEET 2.

Patented Juno 6, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED sTA s PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT L. lwlllltRICllK, 0F PASSAIC, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MERRICK SCALE MFG. CO., 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented June 6, 1916.

l Application led November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802,597.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. MERRIGK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented-new and useful Improvements in .Continuous-Weighing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to weighing mechanism for continuously weighing material as it is carried by a mechanical conveyer, either of a belt, bucket or other type, in which a portion of the conveyer is suspended from weighing levers connected with a scale beam having an automatic balancing device, such as a spring, ora plunger immersed in mercury, attached thereto. In this method of weighing an integrating device integrates and totalizes the product of the load carried by the conveyer and the travel of the conveyer, so that the result is the weight of material carried by the conl veyer.

It is the present practice to rigidly support the weighing and integrating mechanism from the foundation of the conveyer structure itself, or from the longitudinal members on which the conveyer is placed. This construction is not objectionable when the conveyer is stationary and it is not necessary to alter the inclination or plane of travel of the conveyer. However, it is very often necessary to change the inclination or direction of travel of the conveyer so that the discharge end will be at a certain height, as for instance, when loading material into ships. The present method of constructing and supporting the weighin mechanism does not permit of apprecia l varying the inclination or direction o travel of the conveyer without interfering with the correct and efiicient operation of the weighing mechanism.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the above -disadvantages and so construct and support the 'weighing mechanism that anyv changes in the direc-A tion of travel of the conveyer will not affect the correct and eflicient operation of the weighing mechanism, the weighing mecha.- nism being simultaneously and automatlcally adjusted fwith the conveyer to anychan e in inclination thereof, so that the relatlon between the two will be the same at all times. v

In carrying out the invention I provide a pair of beams extending longitudinally of and above the conveyer support, the ends of said beams adjacent to the fixed ends of the conveyer support. being mounted to swing on an axis which is in the same vertical plane as the axis of rotation of the pulley at the loading end of the conveyer. The opposite ends of said members are connected to the conveyer support by pivoted standards or struts maintaining them and the conveyer always parallel. The main weighing levers of the weighing mechanism are supported upon these members so that the plane ofthe pivots of said levers always remains parallel and equidistant from the conveyer and also the suspended and fixed portions of the conveyer remain always in the same relaf tion to each other, with the rods suspending aA portion of thel conveyer from the weighing levers always in a vertical p'osition. A second pair of pivoted standards are connected to said members and the conveyersupport, said latter standards supporting the weighing beam, the automatic balancing device and the integrating or registering device.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of a belt conveyer and weighing mechanism connected thereto illustrating an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar,view'to illustrate the conveyer adjusted to travel in a plane inclined downwardly to the horizontalyand Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking at the left of Figs. l and 2. l

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

In the drawingsV I have illustrated anembodiment of my invention in connection with a belt conveyer 4 passing around pulleys 5, '6 fixed to shafts 5', 6 with the upper way by S). The belt is actuated bv a suitable motor (designated in a general way by M) and a sprocket chain or the like 9 passing over a wheel 10 fixed to the shaft 5 of the pulley 5. lt will be noted that the shaft 5 also serves as an axis to swing the outer end of the conveyer supporting members or stringers 7 upward or downward.

The weighing mechanism (designated in a general Way by W) consists of a scale beam 11 pivotally supported by knife edge bearings on a column 12, the short end of said beam being pivotally connected by a link 13 to one end Vof a weighing lever 14. The

other end of said lever is fixed to a trans- Y tion i f the conveyer 1s carried by idlertroughing rollers 8, mounted on a platform 23 connected to and sus ended from the weighing levers 14, 18 by links 24. One end of the scale beam 11 is provided with a suitable automatic balancing device, in the present instance shown as consisting of a lunger connected bya link 21 to the scale eam yand hanging in areceptacle 22 containing mercury whereby any weight on the levers 14,' 18 is automatically balanced, theincrease or decrease of lload on said levers raising or lowering the plungerv in the mercury until the loss or gain in buoyancy compensates for the variation in the load. The extreme end of'the scale beam is connected to an integrator which derives its other factor from the travel of the conveyer from any suitable means, 1n the present instance shown as driven from the motor M through belts or chains 32,` 33 and sprocket wheels 34, any slack .1n the chain 33 being taken up by -a .floating idler 35. This integrator continuously totalizes the product of two quantities one proportional-to the weight of the load on the weighing levers and the other to the travel of the material, but as this does not constitute an essential feature of'the invention a detail description is not deemed necessary.

necessary that the relative positions of the weighing levers and the suspended lpart of the conveyer are not disturbed, that't e links or rods connecting the suspendedfportion A of the conveyer with the weighing levers are the conveyer relativeto the kweighing levers it would be lmposslble to always in a vertical position andi the pivotal` axis of the scale beamat all 'times in a hori-l zontal plane, as should there be any change inthe direction of travel or inclination of correctlyl and e'iciently weigh ,the material pivots of the carried by the conveyer. To permit of the adjustment of the conveyer support and the conveyer, means are therefore provided to simultaneously and automatically adjust the welghing mechanism with any adjustment of the conveyer support and the conveyer, so that the weighing mechanism coincldes with any change in the direction of travel of the conveyer. For this purpose I provide the members 17- which support the pivot `blocks of the weighing levers, said members bein pivotally supported, as at 25, at their en s adjacent to the fixed end of the conveyer support and in the same vertical line as the axis of rotation of the pulley 5. The opposite ends of the members 17 are pivotally connected to the conveyer support by va pair of struts or standards 26 maintaining said members and the conveyer always parallel. Another part of struts or standards 27 are ivotally connected to said members and t e conveyer support, these latter standards being connected by a cross-piece 28 on which the weighing beam, automatic balancing device and the registering or integrating device are su ported. The center line of these standa 27 corresponds with 'the center line of the rod or link connecting the scale beam with the weighing levers, thereby maintaining thc fulcrum on which the scale beam is carried in a horizontal plane, and the distances between this fulcrum, the end of the weighing lever, and the balancing device to which one end of the scale beam is connected are always the same no matter to what position the conveyer may be adjusted either above or below its horizontal position. As a consequence ofthe foregoing the same amount of weight onthe suspended portion of the conveyer will cause the beam to move a constant amount at all positions of the conveyer, as the rods vsuspending a portion of the conveyer from the weighing levers, and the rods connectin the levers to the scale beam, as well as tlie rod connecting the scale beam to'the automatic balancing device, and also the rod connecting the scale beam to the integrating and recording apparatus, always remain 1n a vertical position,thereby assuring the correct and efficient weighing of the Y Aload on the conveyer no matter what angle In this type of we1gh1ng mechanlsm 1t 1s the travel of the conveyer may assume.

- -In the present instance the conveyer travelsin the direction indicated by the arrow form ofthe scale mechanism in theA tion of travel of the conveyer is taken up by links 29 ivotally connected at one end to said plat iorm and theother ends pivotally connected to brackets30 fixed upon the conveyer support. The material is fed onto theV conveyer from a hopper (designated in a. general way'by H) to a chute 31v fixed to and movable with the conveyer support With relation to the outlet of the hopper. It will be understood that any suitable means may be provided to elevate and lower'the free end of the conveyer support and maintain it in its adjusted position.

Variations may be resorted to Within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a traveling conveyer supported to have adjustment in a vertical plane, of Weighing mechanism to Weigh a load transported by said conveyer, said Weighing mechanism connected to and adjustable with the conveyer support so that any alteration in the direction of travel of the conveyer will not disturb any of the functions of the weighing mechanism.

2. The combination with a traveling conveyer adjustable in a vertical plane, of weighing mechanism to Weigh a load transported by said conveyer, and means to connect and support the Weighing mechanismA by the conveyer to adjust the Weighing mechanism simultaneously with any adjustment in the direction of travel of the conveyer without disturbing any function of the Weighing mechanism.

3.In weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination of an adjustable support for the conveyer to change the direction of travel thereof; weighing mechanism having means to support a portion of the conveyer; and means to adjust the scale mechanism simultaneously with any adjustment of the conveyer and maintain the conveyer supporting means of the weighing mechanism at all times in a plane parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyer.

4. In Weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination with the conveyer, of' means to adjustably support the conveyer to change the direction of travel thereof; weighing mechanism having meansv connected thereto to carry a portion of the conveyer, and means to connect the Weighing mechanism to the conveyer support, to eiect adjustment of the weighing mechanism simultaneously with any adjustment of the conveyer andmantain the conveyer carrying means of the weighing mechanism in a plane parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyer, and the means to connect the conveyer carrying means of the Weighing mechanism to the latter at a constant angle 4 with a vertical line for .different planes of travel of the conveyer.

5. In Weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination with the conve er of wei hin mechanism havin means y a to support a portion of the conveyer; and an adjustable su port for the conveyer and Weighing mec anism, to maintain the conveyer-supporting means of the weighing mechanism at all times in a plane parallel to the-direction of travel of the conveyer.

6. In Weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination with the conveyer, of means to adjustably support thev same; scale` mechanism havingvveighing levers; means connected to the Weighing leveyer, of an adjustable support therefor;

weighing mechanism having Weighing levers and means connected thereto to support a portion of the conveyer; and a support for the Weighing mechanism connected to the conveyer support to simultaneously adjust the Weighing mechanism with any adjustment of the conveyer and maintain the Weighing levers and conveyer-supporting means of the weighin mechanism at all times parallel to the direction of travel of the conveyer.

8. In Weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers,thecombinati'onfwiththeconveyer, of Weighing mechanism having weighing levers and a scale beam Aconnected to said levers; means connected to the levers to support a portion of the conveyer; an adjustable support for the conveyer; and means to support the uWeighing mechanism by said support to simultaneously effect adjustment of the Weighing levers and conveyer-supporting means of the Weighing mechanism with any adjustment of the conveyer support -'to maintain-the levers and conveyersupporting means of the Weighing mechanism at all times in a plane parallel with the direction of travel of the conveyer, and the scale beam in position to swing on a horizonthe conveyer and Weighing mechanism, so that any alteration in the plane of travel of the conveyer will not disturb any function of the Weighing mechanism. o

'10.- In Weighing mechanism for-traveling conveyers, the combination with the conveyer, of weighing mechanism having a pivoted scale beam; Vmeans connected to saidscale `Jeam to support a ortion of the conveyer; and an adjustab e support for the conveyer and Weighing mechanism to simultaneously effect adjustment of. the conveyer the conveyer; and an adjustable support for` I Y .to

and the means to sup ort a portion of the conveyer from the sca e beam and maintain the latter at all timesin a plane parallel with the ldirection of travel of the conveyer,

andthe pivotal axis of the scale beam in a horizontal position. 11. In weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination with the conveyer, of Weighing mechanism having a pivoted scale beam; means connected to said scale beam to support a portion ofthe conveyer; an adjustable support for the conveyer and weighing mechanism; means to simultaneously effect adjustment of the conveyer and the means to support a portion of the conveyer from the scale beam and main-- tain 'the latter at all times in a plane parallel with the direction of travel of the conveyer and the pivotal axis of the scale beam in a horizontal ositionand means connected if) to the scale eam and conveyer to record the Weight of the material transported by the conveyer.

12. In weighing mechanism for traveling conveyers, the combination with the conveyer, of a carrier for said conveyer pivotally supported'at one end to swing one end of the carrier in a vertical direction to change the direction of travel of thereonveyer; Weighing mechanism having means to support a portion of the conveyer; and a Acarrier for theweighing lmechanism extending parallel with the conveyer carrier and pivotally su ported at one end and connected at the ot er end to the conveyer carrier whereby as the latter is swung upward or downwardV the carrier for t e Weighing mechanism will be simultaneously swung in 'the same direction and to the same extent, 40 and the conveyer-carrying means of the weighingA mechanisml is at all times maintained in a plane parallel with the direction of travelof the conveyer. 13. The combination with a traveling conveyer and weighing mechanism to'wel h a -load transported by said conveyer, of adjustable supporting means for the conveyer and lweighin mechanism tovchange the direction of trave of the conveyer and simultaneously to any change e direction of travel of .the conveyer2 substantially as and for the purpose specified. 14. The combination with a traveling con veyer and weighing mechanism to weighA a adjust the weighing mechanism to adapt 1tv in t ' nism to any change in the direction of travel of the conveyer-,substantially as and for the ypurpose specified.

15. The combination with a traveling conveyer, of weighing mechanism com rising a scale beam having automatic ba ancng means connected thereto and weighing levers connected to'said scaleV beam having means to support a portion of the conveyer; an adjustable support for the conveyer; and an adjustable support for the weighing mechanism connected to the conveyer support to simultaneously adjust the weighing mechanism when the conve er support is adjusted to maintain the fiilcrum of the weighing levers parallel with and equidistant from the conveyer and the fulcrum of the scale beam in a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. The combination with a traveling conveyer, of weighing mechanism comprising a scale beam having automatic balancing means connected thereto and weighing levers connected to said scale beam having means to support a portion of the conveyer; an ad- 86 justable support for the conveyer to alter the vdirection of travel thereof; and an adjustable support for the weighing mechanism connected to the conveyer support to simultaneously adjust the weighing mecha- 90 nism when the conveyer sufpport is adjusted to maintain the fulcrums o the weighing levers parallel with and equidistant from the conveyer and the fulcrum of the scale beam in a horizontal position, com rising apair il ofl parallel beams extending ongitudinally of and above the conveyer support with one end pivotally supported in thesame vertical line as the ivot of the conveyer support, a pair of stan ards pivotally connecting the free ends of said beams 'with the conveyer support, a second pair of standards pivotvally connected to said beams and the conveyer` support, and a cross-piece connecting sald latter standards and supporting the 10a scale beam and automatic balancin device.

j Y j HERBERT L. MER ICK. Witnesses:

` MORGAN G. SHARM, EMILE C. BoEnNEn, Jr. 

